Electrical connecter



June 24 l924. 1,499,217

H. A. HIBBARD ELECTRICAL CONNECTER Filed Dec. 1920 MMMMMMMMMMM! l HMMMMMLMMM Ml Mmmm www,...

1N VEN TOR.

Patented .lune 24, 1924.

UNITED STATES HERMON ALEXANDER HEBBARD, F DENVER, COLORADO.

ELECTRICAL CONNECTER.

Application filed December 15, 1920. Serial No. 430,930.

' 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HERMON ALEXANDER HIBBARD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Denver, in the county of Denver and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrical Connecters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to electrical connecters and more particularly to improvements in socket members of electrical couplings of the type used in connecting a lamp, sad iron, toasterl or other electric heating device in an electric circuit.

It is the principal object of the present invention to provide in association with the female contact member of a connecter of the type above referred to, one or more springs which yieldingly engage a male member placed in operative relation thereto and thereby insure a strong wiping contact between them.

Vith the above and other objects in view, all of which will fully appear in the course of the following description, my invention consists in the construction and arrangements of parts shown in the accompanying drawings in the various views of which like parts are similarly designated, and yin which- Figure 1 represents a top view of one of the halves of a female connecter of the type commonly used in connection with ,sad irons, heaters and other portable electrical devices. j

Figure 2, a section through the two halves of the connecter in their assembled relation, taken on the line 2-2, Figure 1; Y

Figure 8, a side elevation of one of the contact members of the connecter in its cooperative relation to a male contact member of a correlative connecter, drawn to an exaggerated scale;

Figure 4, a section on the line 44, Figure 3; f

Figure 5, a top view of a contact member of modified construction together with a round male member, likewise drawn to an exaggerated scale;

50 Figure 6, a section taken on the line 6 6,

Figure 5, and l Figure 7, a sectional view of the contact element of a wall socket showing the application of my invention thereto.

Referring more specifically to the drawings the reference numeral 2 designates the insulating body of the connecter, which as usual is composed of two complementary halves 3 rigidlyy connected by screws 4.

Each half has in its :inner face two parallel depressions open at their outer ends and connected at their opposite ends to a forked central depression.

When the two halves of the connecter are fastened together, their depressions form two recesses 5 to receive the female contact members 7 of my invention, and a passage 6 for the wires by which sai-d members are connected either to an electric heating device or to a plug for connecting the same in an electric lighting circuit.

Each contact member is composed of two jaws 8 of rounded section connected at one of their ends byadjoiningly placed Shanks 9 and having at their opposite ends outwardly turned lips 10 to facilitate the entrance of a male ymember 12 between them.

- The two jaws and their shanks are preferably formed integrally of a single piece of metal and the jaws extend convergently in spaced relation to each other to conjointly provide aftapering socket for the accommodation of a male contact member of suitable cross-sectional size and form.

A binding screw 13 fitted in axially alined threaded apertures ofthe integrally connected shanks of the member serves for its connection to a wire 14, and lips 9a formed at.v opposite sides of the shanks function to confine the strands of the wire engaged by the screw.

Referring rst to the form of my invention shown in Figures 3 and 4, the jaws of .the female contacty member have outwardly projecting ears 15 and 16 at opposite ends of their longitudinal edges for the attachment of coiled metal springs 17 which, extending inwardly from said edges, yieldingly engage the opposite sides of the. flat male contact member 12 placed between the J The ears are relatively positioned on the converging aws so that the springs attached between them extend further inwardly at the connected ends of the aws to evenly engage the male contact member along their entire extent as clearly shown in Figure 3 of the drawings.

The form of my iiiveiit-ion illustrated in Figures 5 and 6, is more particularly adapted to accommodate male contact members of round, diamond-shaped or polygonal cross-section.

Coiled springs 18 additional to those eX- tending along the longitudinal edges of the jaws, are arranged in longitudinal slots 19 of the same so as to project downwardly of their inner surface to yieldingly engage a contact member 2O inserted in the socket of the jaws.

The contact member of my invention normally occupies one of the recesses 5 of the body of the connecter as shown in Figures l and 2 with its lipped extremity adjoining the open'end thereof, it being understood that the recesses are suiiiciently wide to permit of an expansive movement of the jaws when a male member of the coupling enters between them.

The two contact members of the connecter are attached by means of their binding screws to the ends of a pairrof insulated electric wires which enter the body through vits' passage 6 and are as usual protected against breakage by a wire guard 2l applied exteriorly of the same.

In the operation of the invention the male contact members of a correlative of the above described connecter are inserted into the recesses and entering between the jaws of the female contact y members thereof, are yieldingly engaged by the coiled springs.

.A strong frictional contact of the conductive parts is thus effected, with theresult that a constant and steadyV flow of electric current between them, is obtained.

It willbe understood that the object of the convergence of the two jaws of the contact members illustrated in Figure 3, is .to accommodate round, square or diamondshaped male contact members as well as members of the fiat form shown in the illustration and that by relatively reducing the convergence of the springs at the Vlongitudin-alv edges of thejaws the springs Vwhen the jaws are spread apart by the insertion of thema-le contact member between them, will evenly engage the opposite surfaces of theV saine along their entire extent.

In Figure Z of the drawings has been shown the application of my invention to a cylindrical contact member 22 of a wall socket. Y

The member is provided with a plurality of longitudinal slots 23 in which the coiled springs Qmay be arranged either singly or in pairs.

It will be seen that the springs projecting within the cylindrical member will yieldingly engage a male member inserted thereinto and thereby insure a lirm frictional contact therewith.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters-Patent is:

l. In an electrical connecter, a. female contact member composed of a pair of yieldingly connected jaws, and coiled springs eX- tending along the longitudinal edges of the jaws to yieldingly Vengage a male contact member entered between them.

2. In an electrical connecter, a female contact member composed of a pair of yieldingly connected jaws, coiled springs extending along the longitudinal edges thereof, and coiled springs extending longitudinally of the jaws intermediate Vofv said edges, the springs protruding inwardly of the jaws to yieldingly engage a. male contact member entered between them.

8. In an electrical connecter, a femalel member having Vyieldingly mounted jaws and a coiled spring arranged on one of said jaws and extending inwardly thereof to engage with a male contact member entered between the jaws. l

t. In an electrical connecter, a female member having yieldingly mounted jaws and coiled springs arranged on said jaws and extending inwardly thereof' to engage with a male contact member entered between the jaws.V

5. In an electrical connecter, a socketed contact-member, and a plurality of coiled springs connected at their ends toV saidv member and projecting circumferentially inside the socket thereof to yieldingly engage with a male contact member inserted in the socket.

t3. In an electrical connecter, Va female contact member comprising yieldingly connected jaws conjointly providing a socketl for theJ insertion of a male contact member, and coiled springs extending longitudinally of the edges of the jaws and circumferentially inwardly of the same to yieldingly engage `with a male contact member inserted in the socket.

7. In an electrical connecter, a female contact member comprising a pair of sep` arably mounted converging jaws conjointly forming a tapering rsocket for the insertion of a male contact member, and coiled springs fastened at their ends in angular relation to the longitudinal edges of the jaws and extending inwardly of the same Vto evenly engage with a male contact meinber inserted in the socket.

In testimony whereof I have laiiixed my signature.

HERMGN ALEXANDERV HIBYBAYRD. 

